Karen Maber
Karen proudly identifies as an Aboriginal woman descended from the Darug (Sydney region) and also acknowledges her close family relationships to the Dharawal people of the South Eastern Coast (Sydney to Nowra). Her ancestry dates back to Namut Gilbert, an Elder belonging to the Cabrogal people of the Georges River, Liverpool area and also includes four generations of Aboriginal women living along the waterways from Georges River to La Perouse.
Karen describes her artwork as an expression of relationships to people, place and emotion. In particular, her artwork honours families; both past and present. Karen’s motivation for painting is to encourage both individual and collective journeys towards discovering, enhancing and celebrating sense of identity and wellbeing. For Karen, a journey back is also a journey forward. She is a proud daughter and mother of twin boys who believes in assisting children to develop their own expression of their culture and connections to people and place. She draws deeply upon her intuitive relationships with her ancestors which reinforce her strong Aboriginal values of respectful listening, learning, loving and sharing.
